Track expenses from receipt photos with Telegram & Google Sheets using OCR.space

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Important notice

This workflow is provided as-is. Please review and test before using in production.

1. Workflow Overview

Hello automation enthusiasts! Want to automatically track your expenses from receipts without hefty OCR service costs? I've got you covered! I've updated my Personal Finance Tracking Chatbot tem...

Best for

Invoice Processing automation workflows
AI Chatbot automation workflows
intermediate n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.telegrambot, n8n-nodes-base.if, n8n-nodes-base.httprequest

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Candra Reza.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title: Track expenses from receipt photos with Telegram & Google Sheets using OCR.space
Workflow name: Track expenses from receipt photos with Telegram & Google Sheets using OCR.space

Hello automation enthusiasts! 👋

Want to automatically track your expenses from receipts without hefty OCR service costs? I've got you covered!

I've updated my Personal Finance Tracking Chatbot template to incorporate a free OCR service (OCR.space). This powerful n8n workflow lets you effortlessly log your expenses by sending a picture of your receipt to your Telegram bot. The OCR will extract key details like amount, date, and description, which are then neatly saved into your Google Sheets!

Why use this template?

📸 Free OCR-Powered Expense Tracking: Simply send a photo of your receipt to your Telegram bot and let OCR.space do the heavy lifting – without breaking the bank!
📊 Automated Google Sheets Entry: Extracted data is seamlessly appended to your Google Sheet for easy financial overview.
💰 Manual Entry Still Available: Easily record incomes and expenses via text commands for transactions without receipts.
🤖 Instant Telegram Confirmations: Get immediate feedback on successful recordings, whether manual or OCR-processed.
✨ Customizable Parsing: The included Function node allows you to refine the data extraction logic to perfectly match your receipt formats.

What Do You Need?

An n8n account (self-hosted or cloud)
Your own Telegram Bot (free and easy to create!)
A free API Key from OCR.space.
A Google account and an empty Google Spreadsheet for your financial data.
A Google Spreadsheet with "Income" and "Expenses" sheets (with columns like Date, Description, Amount, Category, Type, Source).

Who Is This For? This template is perfect for anyone who wants to gain more control over their personal finances in an efficient and hassle-free way. No more complex apps, just use your personal chatbot!

How to Use It?

Get Your Free OCR.space API Key: Visit ocr.space/OCRAPI and sign up for a free key.
Import this JSON template into your n8n instance.
Configure Credentials: Set your Telegram Bot Token, Google Sheet ID, and OCR.space API Key as environment variables in n8n.
Activate the workflow.
Start tracking your finances by sending text commands (e.g., income salary 5000, expense coffee 15 food) or just snapping a photo of your receipt to your Telegram bot!

Let's simplify your financial management with automation! Feel free to try it out and modify it to suit your needs. If you have any questions, leave a comment below!

1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - Telegram Bot (Webhook)

Type / Role: n8n-nodes-base.telegramBot - telegramBot
Config choices: Version 1

Block 2 - Check 'Photo'

Type / Role: n8n-nodes-base.if - if
Config choices: Version 1

Block 3 - Get Telegram Photo

Type / Role: n8n-nodes-base.telegramBot - telegramBot
Config choices: Version 1

Block 4 - OCR.space Request

Type / Role: n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices: Version 1

Block 5 - Send Raw OCR Text

Type / Role: n8n-nodes-base.telegramBot - telegramBot
Config choices: Version 1

3. Summary Table

Workflow	Track expenses from receipt photos with Telegram & Google Sheets using OCR.space
Complexity	intermediate
Nodes	5
Categories	Invoice Processing, AI Chatbot
Author	Candra Reza
Published	30 Jul 2025

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

1. Download the workflow JSON

Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/6686/6686.json as the source template for this automation.
2. Import the template into n8n

Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.
3. Configure credentials and variables

Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.
4. Test with sample data

Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.
5. Activate and monitor

Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Download workflow JSON Original n8n.io source Invoice Processing workflows AI Chatbot workflows

Frequently asked questions

What does Track expenses from receipt photos with Telegram & Google Sheets using OCR.space do?

Hello automation enthusiasts! Want to automatically track your expenses from receipts without hefty OCR service costs? I've got you covered! I've updated my Personal Finance Tracking Chatbot tem...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your Invoice Processing, AI Chatbot use case.

Candra Reza

5 workflows

Nodes

n8n-nodes-base.telegrambot n8n-nodes-base.if n8n-nodes-base.httprequest

Complexity

intermediate

Published 30 Jul 2025

Likes 0

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Install path: /data/workflows/6686/6686.json

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Track expenses from receipt photos with Telegram & Google Sheets using OCR.space

Workflow preview

Important notice

1. Workflow Overview

Best for

Tools used

Source and attribution

1.1 Workflow description

1.2 Logical Blocks

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - Telegram Bot (Webhook)

Block 2 - Check 'Photo'

Block 3 - Get Telegram Photo

Block 4 - OCR.space Request

Block 5 - Send Raw OCR Text

3. Summary Table

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

1. Download the workflow JSON

2. Import the template into n8n

3. Configure credentials and variables

4. Test with sample data

5. Activate and monitor

5. General Notes & Resources

Frequently asked questions